SYNOPSIS: When Hiccup and Toothless discover a secret ice cave with wild dragons and a mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves in an epic battle to save the future of men and dragons!

MOVIE REVIEW:

It’s always a rewarding experience to watch an animation that doesn’t dumbed down its story for the sake of the younger audience. This year the sequel to DreamWorks’ How To Train Your Dragon is one gleaming example of how to do a sequel right.

Richly entertaining filled with compelling storytelling, the story begins five years after the event of the first. The Viking villagers are now living in peace with the dragons. Stoick (Gerald Butler) on the other hand is keen on passing his throne to Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) but the latter has other matters in mind. In the meantime, a powerful evil dragon hunter Drago Bludvist (Djimon Hounsou) is on the loose and soon, Hiccup and Toothless will find themselves fighting against the clutches of Drago and his colossal dragon. Will Hiccup and Toothless survive the ordeal?

The story written by director Dean DeBlois expand the original characters onto a bigger canvas and simultaneously offer an insane amount of dazzlingly action to go with it. The introduction of Cate Blanchett’s Valka brought the movie to a whole new emotional level and DeBlois is also not afraid to kill off “SPOILER-ALERT” a major character! It’s a sequel that surprisingly does not hesitant to challenge the delicate topic of death and relationship.

Although some of the elements might be dark to the younger children, the animation continues to be filled with lots of colorful, weird-looking dragons and breath-taking cinematography if that’s a consolation. The high-flying and aerial dogfights truly are on a much bigger scale than the first and we are talking about the introduction of two massive dragons fighting on the big screen.

Jonah Hill’s Snoutlout and the two fraternal twins, Tuffnut (T.J. Miller) and Ruffnut (Kristen Wigg) once again provide the wacky humour and one-liners. Certainly when it comes to some heartfelt key moments, Hiccup and Toothless, this unlikely pair no doubt has us tearing and cheering at the same time.

DreamWorks Animation has come a long way since Antz. There are obvious hits  (Kung Fu Panda) and misses (Rise of the Guardians) along the way. But Jeffrey Katzenberg and his team for sure have found their crown jewel and that is undeniably the How To Train Your Dragon franchise. 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Fishlegs' Dragon Statsis multimedia feature which teaches one about the various classes of dragons. The rest are just promotional featurettes- Theatrical Trailer, Sneak Peek, Gallery and World of DreamWorks Animation.

AUDIO/VISUAL:

The visual overall is stunning and images incredibly detailed. The audio Dolby Digital 5.1 is full of surround activity and booming sound effects. An excellent example of top notch audio and visual presentation. 

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee

SYNOPSIS: They're cute...they're cuddly...they're back! From the creators of Madagascar comes the hilarious new movie that proves global espionage is for the birds! In DreamWorks' PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR, your favorite super-spies- Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private join forces with the elite North Wind team to save the world. It's a side-splitting, globe-trotting adventure the whole family will love!

MOVIE REVIEW:

Honestly, I can’t even tell the difference between Kowalski, Rico or Private but I still enjoyed this Madagascar-spin off, Penguins of Madagascar.

After breaking into Fort Knox to celebrate Private’s birthday, our four flightless misfits are kidnapped by an evil Octopus named Dave (John Malkovich). Dave’s master plan is to round up all the penguins in the world and turned them into monsters. With the help of secret animal rescue operative, North Wind, will the penguins saved their own species in the end? 

The scripting while obviously inspired by spy movies is often absurd and hilarious. It’s liked a funny parody of the genre and the pacing of the movie is so frenetic that you might miss all the sight gags and funny lines at times. One repeated gag is the crazy mash-ups of celebrity names; Nicolas Cage, Drew Barrymore and Hugh Jackman are among the many being made fun of.  

Placing this side-by-side with How To Train Your Dragon 2 or even Kung Fu Panda, the animation by comparison is no doubt a little less detailed. Even the various globetrotting setting, which takes viewers to places liked Venice and Shanghai are remarkable flat. Fortunately, the numerous silly action pieces once again offset the disappointing visuals.  

Benedict Cumberbatch is simply hilarious as the leader of North Wind, a gray wolf named Classified. The Brit is definitely on a roll with both live-action and animation pictures. At the same time, you can relish in listening to Malkovich embodies an evil character. Ken Jeong and Peter Stormare also “appear” as a seal and muscular polar bear with a soft heart respectively.

The penguins who are often scene-stealers in the Madagascar franchise finally has a chance to shine on their own in this maniac movie. You won’t be disappointed by Penguins of Madagascar by the time the credits roll, a packet of Cheesy Dibbles in hand to go with it will be even nicer. 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Cheesy Dibbles Ad is a fake product commercial touting the cheesy snack favoured by the penguins. The rest of the minimal extras include a Gallery, Trailer and World of DreamWorks Animation.

AUDIO/VISUAL:

Like any other DreamWorks title, the visual and audio aspects are of the highest standard. Colors, details and textures are remarkable and the audio track featured a series of aggressive and exciting sound effects. 

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee

SYNOPSIS: Janet leaves her troubled home for a high-rise apartment, despite warnings about the apartments dark and haunted reputation. Soon after moving in, Janet inexplicably dies, falling out the window of her thirteenth story apartment. Her sister Lana (Mischa Barton) moves in to the apartment, determined to reveal the truth behind her siblings bizarre death. What Lana finds is far more frightening and unexplainable than she had thought possible. Before she knows it, Lana gets pulled into a cycle of supernatural horror as she struggles to escape the apartment before she becomes its next victim.

MOVIE REVIEW:

A remake of the 2007 Japanese horror thriller of the same name, Apartment 1303 is an insufferable piece of work produced by a group of people who watched too many horrors but has no idea how to shoot one.    

For a start, the movie just couldn’t resist piling up one horror cliché after another. A creepy shot of an ominous building and creepy schoolgirl roaming along the corrider plus a ghostly figure appearing on the balcony, all within the first fifteen minutes. If you think you saw the worst, you ain’t seeing nothing yet. 

Unable to tolerate her alcoholic mother, Maddie (Rebecca De Mornay) any further, Janet (Julianne Michelle) decides to move into a downtown Detroit apartment. Obviously there’s something wrong with the unit when the location is good and the rent is cheap. But hey the pictures on the brochure look good enough and Janet of course signed the lease. Strange things start to happen to Janet on the first night and before long she is found fallen to her death.

Her elder sister Lara (Mischa Barton) decides to move in to investigate her sister’s mysterious death and together with Janet’s boyfriend, Mark (Corey Sevier) uncovered a horrifying secret behind the supernatural events.

Seriously, Lara and Mark never actually accomplished anything; an investigative officer is the one who rallies its history to them. Does it matter Mark is actually an undercover cop? It was revealed earlier he has a gun but so what. Rebecca De Mornay who was in the excellent The Hands That Rocks The Cradle decades ago played a washed-up pop singer but that has nothing substantial to do with the entire movie.

Even with an obviously loud soundtrack, director Michael Taverna clearly has trouble setting up a cheap jolt or a simple jump scare because the movie has none of these moments that worked. At one point, the ghost has to spend considerable effort dragging and pushing Janet across the living room to the balcony. Can’t she just flick her finger or something at Janet? Now that’s one laughable moment.

I can only conclude you just couldn’t get respectable CG, makeup effects with the paltry $5 million budget. The performances on the whole is shoddy and there’s absolutely no need for me to go further how bad Apartment 1303 is.  

SPECIAL FEATURES:

NIL

AUDIO/VISUAL:

Visual and audio is respectable in this barebones DVD. 

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee

SYNOPSIS: In a peaceful little clearing, the remains of a picnic hastily abandoned spark warfare between two tribes of ants. At stake a box of sugar. A bold young ladybug finds himself caught in the middle of the battle. He befriends one of the black ants, Mandible, and helps him to save the anthill from the assault of the terrible red ant warriors, led by the fearful Butor. An epic journey at ground level...

MOVIE REVIEW:

Just when you thought this is another animation dealing with insects and bugs, the French manages to pull off an intuitive and whimsical tale about the adventure of a young brave ladybug in Minuscule: Valley of the Lost Ants.

To begin with, this is an animation that does not contain any single dialogue. So for those who have no tolerance for noisy sidekicks, awkward dubbing and erroneous subtitles, you are in for a treat. 

Effortlessly blending live-action backgrounds, which are shot in the National Parks in France with 2D animated characters, a young ladybug who is separated from his family befriend a colony of black ants and help them in their fight against a platoon of evil red ants when a food-scouting errand turned wrong.

With thrills, adventure and action all rolled into one, Minuscule: Valley of the Lost Ants hardly stops for a breather despite being totally wordless other than the tooting sounds made by the insect characters especially the houseflies roaring liked noisy bikers and the energizing music score.

An incredible chase down the river and an unexpected castle siege with toothpicks, aspirin and fireworks as weaponries will have you sweating for the good ants. At the end of the day, friendship and bravery are the main themes of this kiddy flick. Be it the ladybug selfless, courageous act for his friends or a brief acquaintance with a quirky spider.    

The renderings of our insect friends are not exactly photo-realistic still the wide-eyed design approach lends a charming feel to their outlook. Co-directors Thomas Szabo and Helene Giraud did a remarkable job transforming their hit TV series to a full-length feature. When the animation world is filled with constant titles outdoing one another with their 2D/3D effects, Minuscule: Valley of the Lost Ants dialed down the fanciness and successfully convey a simple tale that constantly engaged the audience. 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

NIL

AUDIO/VISUAL:

Visual and audio is respectable for this DVD. 

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee

SYNOPSIS: Detective Johnny Du (Wong Cho Lam) was smart and agile but his short height has hindered him from joining the G4 protection detail for the HK Chief Executive. His sassy girl friend bullied him all the time, leaving him depressed at work and at home. His helplessness attracted Vincent, the devil Prince (Chapman To) and Jim, the Angel to fight for his soul.

MOVIE REVIEW:

The ever-prolific Wong Jing and Chapman To reunite once again in this “scraping-the-bottom-of-the-barrel” movie, Black Comedy. But in the end, the ironically titled Black Comedy is neither dark, satirical or remotely entertaining.

Produced and written by Wong Jing and directed by Wilson ‘Lan-Kwai-Fong’ Chin, Chapman To plays second fiddle to Wong Cho Lam’s Johnny Du (a lame reference to director Johnnie To) as a devil prince who plots to capture Du’s soul to Hell. Du is a cop who dreams of joining the G4 protection team but his career is hampered by a useless boss played by Hui Siu-Hung. Even though he has a pretty girlfriend, Angel (Kimmy Tong), he is constantly bullied by her for instance rebonding his super-long armpit hair in public.

When the devil prince offers Du four wishes in exchange for his soul, Du readily agrees. And liked any other movies regarding the generous devil, Du realizes things are not what he expects in the end. Can he reversed time and get back with Angel? 

Black Comedy actually has a promising opening at least it’s ticklish to say the least. Then it starts to spiral downwards to the point of no return. There are occasional sparks liked Siu Yam Yam’s devil mum poking fun at the Chief Executive, a timely joke given the current political climate. Then there’s a sissy angel by the name of Angela Jimmy played by Jim Chim whose sole purpose in the movie is to quibble with devil prince. The third act which features Shirley Yeung and Wilson Chin as an adulterous couple is a drag.

Chapman To, the official spokesman for male organ jokes and dry humping doesn’t disappoint as he continues to milk his raunchy image in an absolutely bland, lifeless performance (okay he is the devil prince so I guess that’s appropriate). Liked I mentioned in an earlier review, Wong Cho Lam’s comedic performance is enjoyable in small doses sadly he can’t carry an entire full-length movie to make it a worthwhile journey to follow.

For a better Chapman and Wong Cho Lam pairup, seek out La Comedie Humaine. Black Comedy just isn’t worth the time. 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

NIL

AUDIO/VISUAL:

This DVD comes in both Cantonese and Mandarin soundtracks. Visual quality is serviceable. 

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee

SYNOPSIS: The charismatic Chester MacFarland (Mortensen) and his alluring younger wife Coletter (Dunst), arrive in Athens by boat via the Corinthian Canal. While sightseeing at the Acropolis they encounter Rydal (Isaac), a young, Greek speaking American who is working as a tour guide, scamming tourists on the side. Drawn to Colette’s beauty and impressed by Chester’s wealth and sophistication, Rydal gladly accepts their invitation to dinner. However all is not as it seems with the MacFarlands and Chester’s affable exterior hides darker secrets. When Rydal visits the couple at their exclusive hotel, events take a more sinister turn and he finds himself compromised and unable to pull free...

MOVIE REVIEW:

The Two Faces of January is the kind of old school and wonderfully craft movie that Hollywood no longer makes. Based on the book by writer Patricia Highsmith, it marks the directorial feature of longtime screenwriter Hossein Amini (Snow White and the Huntsman and Drive).

The movie started innocently enough as an American couple, Chester MacFarland and his beautiful wife, Colette (Viggo Mortensen and Kristen Dunst) while on a tour in Athens gets to know an American tour guide, Rydal (Oscar Isaac). The trio subsequently became friends and before long, Rydal discovered Chester has a dark secret of his own after an argument with a private detective turned ugly in his hotel room.   

There are no bloodshed, violence of any kind or gratuitous nudity that follows the threesome running away from the authorities. Amini plays his card well keeping the material taut and tasteful without resorting to cheap cinematic tricks. The events that unfold revealed the ugliness and sins of mankind with one wrong deed leading to another. Obviously there’s no turning back for people liked Chester MacFarland. And of course, Rydal is no saint either; he has set his eyes on Colette from the day they met.

While the 1960s setting in Greece and Turkey is almost flawlessly recreated by the set designers, the performances of Mortensen and Isaac is that crucial piece of the puzzle that kept everyone glued to their seats. These two actors known for their acting chops doesn’t disappoint as they immersed themselves into these morally questionable characters. Car chase and gunplay is totally absent from this mystery thriller with the sole inclusion of a climatic foot chase along the busy dark alleys of a bazaar. Liked mentioned before, this is a classic, slow burner thriller that refused to resort itself to gimmicks.  

The movie also featured excellent picturesque camerawork from Danish cinematographer Marcel Zyskind and the classy soundtrack by Alberto Iglesias is compelling. A recommended piece of work for mature audiences. 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

NIL

AUDIO/VISUAL:

Visual and audio which comes with a choice of 2.0 and 5.1 is respectable. 

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee

See London through Paddington's eyes and win the Ultimate trip for 4 to London with British Airways! Posted on 11 Dec 2014 Catch Paddington at Shaw Theatres from Thursday, 11 Dec 2014. See London through Paddington’s eyes and win the Ultimate trip for 4 to London with British Airways*. Simply watch PADDINGTON at Shaw Theatres, submit your entry and details of your movie ticket below. One Grand Prize Winner with the best answer will stand to win: One Trip for 4 to London (Sponsored by British Airways, ... more

SYNOPSIS: Dwayne Johnson delivers an unforgettable performance as the mighty Hercules! When a terrifying new enemy threatens the innocent, Hercules and his fearless team of warriors must lead their army in a battle against overwhelming odds. It will take the strength of a god for Hercules to overcome his past and conquer his foes in the epic adventure that critics are calling "fast-paced and packed with eye-popping action!"

MOVIE REVIEW:

Brett Ratner makes generally entertaining movies just not memorable ones where you remember five years down the road or as some said, the minute you left the theater.  

In this grounded version of demigod Hercules which is based on the Radical Comics, Dwayne Johnson plays the titular character, the leader of a band of mercenaries who is hired by a certain Lord Cotys (John Hurt) to train his Thracian army to fight an evil warlord.

In other words, Ratner dropped the Greek mythology aspects and delivered a straight-forward sword-and-sandal war epic. Betrayed by King Eurystheus (Joseph Fiennes), the Hercules here is a war-torn man with a tragic past. Instead of mythology creatures he is fighting against, our man is battling men wearing snakes helmets, savages colored in green, men riding on horseback but seen from far as centaurs and the villainous of all, the greed of men.

The testosterone fueled script makes this a Greek version of A-Team. Hercules is surrounded by the knife-throwing Autolycus (Rufus Sewell), the prophet Amphiaraus (Ian McShane), warrior Tydeus (Aksel Hennie), archer Atalanta (Ingrid Bolso Berdal) and his nephew, storyteller Iolaus (Reece Ritchie). These are interesting characters that are pathetically squeezed into the compact 90 minutes. Of all, Ian McShane’s Amphiaraus gets the most laughs as the character frequently predicts his own death with unexpected results.   

Dwayne Johnson convincingly carries this movie with ease and there’s no shortage of action scenes that showcases his muscularity liked throwing a warrior together with his horse or fighting against three savage wolves. The battles are choreographed with much intensity and it’s heartening to know that these are physically staged instead of CG (except the arrows accordingly).   

You can’t deny Ratner’s Hercules is a good mix of adventure, action and humour. Well it’s not exactly a smart layered action movie but when the movie knows how to poke fun at its competitor, the terrible Renny Harlin’s The Legend of Hercules, you realized it’s certainly is ballsy.  

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The director and producer talk about the movie’s grounded tone, special effects, on location shooting and many other areas in Commentary by Brett Ratner & Beau Flynn.

Johnson talks about the injury he sustained before the shoot and Ratner talks about why Hercules is his passion project in Brett Ratner and Dwayne Johnson: An Introduction.

Hercules & His Mercenaries delve into the actors portraying the leading characters.

The Effects of Hercules takes a look at the visual effects employed in several key scenes.

AUDIO/VISUAL:

The visual presentation on the whole is stunning. Images and colours are superbly captured on DVD. The audio is nothing short of impressive with clear dialogue and chaotic battle foley effects. 

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: Drama
Director: J.C. Chandor
Cast: Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Albert Brooks, Ashley Williams, David Oyelowo, Alessandro Nivola, Elyes Gabel, Harris Yulin, Elizabeth Marvel, Giselle Eisenberg, Robert Clohessy
Runtime: 2 hrs
Rating: NC-16 (Coarse Language)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 5 February 2015

Synopsis: A MOST VIOLENT YEAR is a searing crime drama set in New York City during the winter of 1981, statistically the most dangerous year in the city’s history. From acclaimed writer/director J.C. Chandor, and starring Oscar Isaac (INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS) and Jessica Chastain (ZERO DARK THIRTY), this gripping story plays out within a maze of rampant political and industry corruption plaguing the streets of a city in decay. J.C. Chandor’s third feature examines one immigrant’s determined climb up a morally crooked ladder, where simmering rivalries and unprovoked attacks threaten his business, family, and– –above all––his own unwavering belief in the righteousness of his path. With A MOST VIOLENT YEAR, Chandor journeys in a bold new direction, toward the place where best intentions yield to raw instinct, and where we are most vulnerable to compromise what we know to be right.

Movie Review:

Ever since he sang the blues in Joel and Ethan Coen’s Inside Llewyn Davis (2013), we knew Oscar Isaac is the man to watch out for. Not many people have taken notice of the Guatamela born actor, who has been in flicks like 2006’s The Nativity Story (where he totally pulled off the look for Jesus’s stepfather Joseph), 2010’s Robin Hood (he was the villainous Prince John in Ridley Scott’s interpretation of the beloved story) and 2011’s Drive (you were probably too busy drooling over Ryan Gosling to pay attention to him). With the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens (he plays a character names Poe Dameron) and X Men: Apocalypse (he is the titular super villain with scary mutant powers), the 35 year old Isaac is the one you’ll want to root for.

Before the major blockbusters, his latest big screen outing in J C Chandor’s third feature film is a fine example why his screen presence is the type we have been missing for a long time. Isaac plays an immigrant who is trying to expand his business and capitalise on the bustling opportunities in New York. The problem? It is the year 1981, where the city is rampant with violence and corruption. Amidst the dreaded decay that is perpetuating the city, will our protagonist maintain his stand on not being involved in illegal dealings, or will he and his family be inevitably part of New York City’s violent history?

As the promotional poster of this crime drama film suggests, things are not going to be all cheery and bright. Expect high tension and unsettling undertones in this 125 minute movie, featuring a tightly written screenplay by Chandor. The 41 year old American filmmakers’ previous works Margin Call (2011) and All is Lost (2013) have been lauded by critics, and he continues his exceptionally outstanding work here. The classy production boasts chillingly appealing cinematography by Bradford Young (Middle of Nowhere, Vara: A Blessing), well executed editing by Ron Patane and a moody underscore by Alex Ebert.  

It has also been a while since we saw a movie that focuses on its script and cast’s performances, and not gimmicky tactics like fancy CGIand loud explosive sets. We particularly like Isaac’s character – someone who is neither a baddie nor a good guy. Such personalities are seen in people around us – individuals who are getting by, trying to solve one problem after another amidst the circumstances.

While the movie is set in the cold season of 1981’s New York City, there are characters which we can identify with regardless of setting. The up and coming Jessica Chastain (The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, Interstellar) plays Isaac’s wife, a woman whose mafia background influences her to tell her husband to fight violence with violence. The occasional outbursts in the 37 year old actress’s portrayal of an aggressive wife are adequately handled. She may have been overlooked by the Academy at the upcoming Oscars, but one thing for sure – the limelight will be on Chastain for years to come.

Her co star Isaac is perfect in the movie – he reminds you of a younger Al Pacino. Under Chandor’s direction, the actor shines in this multi layered character. You empathise with the moral battles he goes through, and respects his stature as a business owner and a man of the house. The tempo of the movie is well paced – you go on a journey with the characters (wonderful performances by the supporting cast Albert Brooks, David Oyelowo and Alessandro Nivola) and become aptly arrested in the finely made film. 

Movie Rating:

(This understated slow burner is well worth your time, especially for Oscar Isaac’s stellar performance)

Review by John Li

Optimism is oozing from every single track on this soundtrack album, you’d be a Scrooge if you don’t smile listening to the songs. While critics didn’t warm up to the contemporary adaptation of the 1977 Broadway musical, the songs on this 40 minute CD would cheer you up on the gloomiest day.

The mood is set with “Overture”, a cue incorporating familiar and favourite melodies from the well-loved musical. The orphans begin singing “Maybe”, imaging what life would be like if their parents returned, before crooning the infectious “It’s the Hard Knock Life”, a tune which will get your feet thumping.

The movie’s star Quvenzhane Wallis takes on several songs and extends her on screen likeability to the air waves. In “Tomorrow”, she sings about how life will never be down if you look forward to a new day ahead. She then jumps around with co stars Rose Bryne and Stephanie Kurtzura in the jolly “I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here”, before charming us with a touching performance in “Opportunity”.

Having impressed movie goers with his vocals in Dreamgirls (2006) and Rio (2011), Jamie Foxx effortlessly sings “The City’s Yours”, “Who Am I?” and “I Don’t Need Anything But You”. The Academy Award winner has released a few studio albums and singles, which means recording the songs were probably a breeze. His co stars Cameron Diaz also lends her coarse vocals to the less likable “Little Girls” and “Easy Street”, a duet with Bobby Cannavale.

Australian singer songwriter takes on “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile” and “Opportunity”. There’s also the rather hilarious “MoonquakeLake” with American multi instrumentalist Beck. If you have watched the Will Gluck directed feature, this is the song written for the movie within the movie.

Fans of the original Broadway production may find this refreshed version significantly different from what they remember. The hip hop flavour is strong in this soundtrack, and the updated compositions will appeal to today’s listeners. It is easy to enjoy this CD, and that’s what we are urging you to do – enjoy the upbeat songs to make life a little cheerier. More information about the soundtrack can be found here: http://smarturl.it/AnnieSoundtrack

ALBUM RATING:

Recommended Track: (3) It's The Hard-Knock Life

Review by John Li